New F-150 Will Be First Pickup With LED Headlights

It would probably surprise no one to know that Ford had a lighting expert, John Teodecki, working extensively on the new segment-first LED headlights ready to debut on the coming 2015 Ford F-150. Although LED headlight technology has been around for quite some time and offers the benefits of being lighter, more durable and longer lasting than filament-based halogen or high-intensity-discharge lighting, LEDs also provide energy savings of more than 60 percent.

The first time we remember seeing a pickup truck with LED lighting was the Mighty F-350 Tonka concept truck over 10 years ago, when chief Ford designer Jay Mays introduced it at a pre-North American International Auto Show event in Dearborn, Mich., in 2002. The Mighty F-350 concept pickup foreshadowed some of the changes to the 2005 Super Duty lineup when it got a face-lift and some interior changes.

Other manufacturers are using LED lighting in driving lights but, to our knowledge, Acura is one of the few that use the technology in low- and high-beam headlights (using five separate LEDs). It's worth noting that the new Ford system uses just one LED light for both high and low beams; a refined build process system carefully carves the reflectors to distribute the light from the single source. No word yet on replacement or repair costs at this early stage.

To read the full Ford press release, .

Images supplied by the manufacturers